10 things to discover about the Resident Evil 6 demo

Most zombie fans are gearing up for the release of Resident Evil 6 early next month. The new playable demo — from the perspectives of Leon Kennedy and Helena Harper, Chris Redfield and Piers Nivans, and Jake Muller and Sherry Birkin — are only a small taste of what’s to come in the roughly 30-hour game.

While we’re still trying to get used to the idea of Wesker having a son, here are 10 other details we noticed in the demos … All of dire importance, of course.

Your A.I. is better than you

Remember how unhelpful Sheva was in Resident Evil 5 when playing on single-player? And you know how much of a pain Ashley was to babysit (not to mention lift) in RE 4? Well, it looks like Capcom heard us loud and clear because these A.I. partners are way more competent than us, and it’s embarrassing.

As we fumbled with the different inventories and aiming options, trying not look like total idiots in combat, our partners were smashing heads against counters and healing our sorry butts when the going got tough.

They'll deserve every lame thumbs-up you give them.

Zombies don’t care about your theatrics

In Leon’s campaign, he and his partner cross an outdoor party-themed section of the campus, adorned in patriotic colors. It’s a nice display, but what’s fun is popping all the bundles of balloons.

Or at least it should be, if you could spook the zombies.

Maybe their nonreaction speaks to a deeper sadness. Like, no one will invite them to birthday parties ever again. They won’t ever age or eat cake. It’s sad, being a zombie.

Chris Redfield is awesome

“Is he always this awesome?” said rookie Finn Macauley, stars in his eyes, after hearing Chris Redfield give an encouraging speech to the tune of sappy, inspirational music.

I think Capcom tried too hard with that one.

But when Chris swore no one would be left behind, by golly, he meant it. And that includes him. His buddies are happy to give him a little nudge with the front of their armored trucks.

Jake Muller is awesome (seriously)

For being genetically related to Albert Wesker, this new character is surprisingly awesome. That’s not to say Wesker isn’t cool — he wears a leather jacket and expensive sunglasses, so he automatically qualifies, right? But too much like father, like son would be boring … and if they partnered up and donned matching outfits, that would just be scary.

But Jake is unmistakably not overdramatic and power-crazy, at least from what we’ve seen. He’s kind of fun, and his health meter looks like little ice cubes. Snazzy.

The dive-and-slide is adorable

Eliminating disfigured enemies has never been cuter than it is now. The characters can slide onto the ground and shoot, moving around in that position by paddling their legs like they’re in little pedal boats.

I’m not sure what practical application this maneuver has, but it’s dang adorable.

They’re getting bigger

And I’m not just talking about Chris’s muscles. I mean the giant mutant that stomps through his campaign, so fat that he can’t even climb over a building without it collapsing under his weight.

And gee, I wonder where his weak spot could be? Is it that huge heart-like attachment on his back? Nah.

Zombies turned … fruit ninjas?

Nothing could make me take enemies more seriously than making them acrobatic fruit ninjas.

Maybe the government should harness their power for good. With a little rehabilitation, they could make excellent kitchen assistants.

From herbs to herbicide to herbitic-tacs

What was ever so wrong with mixing herbs to create more powerful herbs with different healing properties? Sure, it’s not as simple as using a first aid or slapping on a band-aid, but it sort of made sense.

I’m not sure where shaking a box in front of someone’s face or popping tic-tacs fits in, though.

Jurassic Park all over again

As much as we enjoyed making fun of the demo, some things were cool. Like these new lizard-like creatures, straight out of the scene in Jurassic Park where Wayne Knight gets sprayed in the face with black goo.

Yeah, they’re kind of like that.

Don’t pay any attention to the number six

When the game tells you to turn down the brightness until the number six is barely visible, what it really means is that if you like killing zombies with your eyes closed, then that’s the perfect setting for you.

It’s amazing how beady Leon’s eyes look, shimmering in the dark, and how easily Hunnigan can work by the light of her blazing computer screen. But if you prefer to see details, like the tears on Leon’s face as he shoots his friend, the zombie-President, point-blank in the chest (or at least that’s what we imagined, considering we were making it up at that point), then you probably want to adjust the brightness to your liking. So, you know, you can actually tell what’s happening on screen.